Method of making planter runners



May 2, 1950 j, w rr 2,505,872

' 7 METHOD OF MAKING PLANTER RUNNERS Filed Oct. 19, 1946 3 SheetsSheet 1 FIG I l6 s 1' 1 li [5.5- I V 1-722 E INVENTOR CHARLES H. WHITE y 1950 c. H. WHITE 2,505,872

' METHOD OF MAKING PLANTER RUNNERS Filed Oct. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

IG. I2

Patented May 2, 1950 ascas'zz;

METHOD. or MAKING PLjANTER RUNNERS Charles H; White, Moline, 111;, assignor to Deere & lflompamn; Molina, Ill a corporation of Illinois l Application w 19, 1946; $eria1NQl 704,3 0

2 Glaims. 1 (Cl. wee-148.3)

The present invention relates generally to agrie:

cultural implementsand more particularly to not only may the generally rectangular blanks be given thedesired upward curvature characs teristic of the runner type furrow opener but, additionally, the lower or convex? edge may be made as thin as desired to facilitatepassage of the furrow opener through the. ground. Parz. ticularly, it is a feature of: this inventiontoform the planter runner furrow opener of a pair of substantially identical generally rectangular plates: having their inner or contacting faces polished so that. they maybe brought into such intimate contact during the forgingoperation that the two plates are welded or integrally united into one piece without the use ofwwelding flux orthe like and at the same timehaverthe desired shape imparted thereto.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in theart after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with. the accompanying drawing in which one preierredananner of I carryingout the principlesof this invention have been illustrated.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 shows-one Of the blanks of the pair of substantially identical blanks from which the -fur= row opener, constructed according to .the present invention, is made.

Figure 2 shows one of theblanks after it has been bent and polished on the inner surface of the forward portion thereof.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the seed boot blookthat is adapted to be disposed between the rear laterally offset portions of the blanks or plates;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing two bent plates riveted together with the inner polished surfaces of the plates thus 'held together in intimate contact.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the rolls iota forge rollingi machine; the surfaces section o 2 ofthe forging rolls having: substantially closed diecavities sunk into their contacting surfaces so as. to act together to form the developed shape of the completed furrow opener.

Figures is a plan view of the developed shape of the completed planter runner furrow opener, corresponding to a development. ofthe forging die cavity vformed in each of the. two. associated forgaing rolls.

Figure 7 is a. lower edge view of a forged runner blank assembly, before final trimming.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a completed furrow opencr.-

Figures 9-12, inclusive, arefragmentary 56G: tions taken through the engaging portions of the forging polls as these portions progressively come into engagement during the rotation of the rolls, such sections corresponding to sections taken generally'along the lines 9-.-, iii-ill, liil,'and l2+l2ioi Figure 5.

ferring now to thedrawings, particularly Figure 8, which is a perspective of a completed runner; it will :be seen that the same comprises an upwardly curved cutting section disposed at the t-rout, indicated by the reference numeral 2 and barring a convex'edge 3 that is made narrow or sharpened, sometimesreferred to as plating, and an upper edge 5 which is thicker than the lower edge 3 :for l purposes of adding to the strength ofthe runner furrow opener. The rear *of the runner furrow opener is bifurcated; affording two wing-like portions 7 and 8 which. arespaced-apart to receive therebetween a seed boot block it to which the lower end of the seed boot of the-planter shank isconnected, as-bya bolt 01' the like. Each of the .wing sec:- tions 1 and :8 is laterally offset, beginning at point I I so thatthe Wings '7 and 8 may function keep-clods and the like from rolling down ,onto the seed in the furrow row. Referrinwnow tothe method of manufacturing the. plantar runner furrow opener shown in Figure. 8, Fi-gure l is a plan of one of the blanks utilized, according to the present invention, in a novel method wherein forging rolls are used-for rollingthe runner plates into final shape From Figure 1 it .will be seen that the blank comprises generally rectan ular elongated plate l5 havii-ig a rear end I 5 notched, as at H, and having a 1 frontsectionpldthe upper edge l9 of which ex} tends at a slight angle to the line of the upper edge of the rear section it and lower edge}! of which extends a slightly convex curveupr wardlyand forwardly, terminating in a relative: 1y short end 23. Two :of such blanks or plates were required to make one complete runner.

After the blanks 15 have been out out, as indicated in Figure 1, the next step is to bend the rear portions of the blanks so as to form pairs of right and left hand blanks with the rear portion of one bent outwardly in one direction and the rear portion of the other bent outwardly in the other direction, as shown in Figures 2 and l. In these figures the zone of the bend is indicated by the reference numeral 25, and in Figure 4 the right hand bent blank is indicated by the reference numeral I5a while the left hand blank is indicated at 55?). The inner surface 21 of each blank is polished so that when the right and left hand blanks are assembled together, as shown in Figure 4, the polished surfaces 21 are disposed in intimate contact. Preferably, the polished surface extends from the zone of bend 25 forwardly to the forward end 22 of each blank. After the blanks l5a and b have been polished they are brought together as mentioned above with a runner block or support 9 disposed between the rear laterally offset sections, indicated at iii, rearwardly of the bent portions 25 of the blanks. Next the two blanks are riveted together, as by a rivet 33 at the front end and a pair of rivets 34 at the rear portion which also pass through the seed boot block or support 9. In this way the two blanks and associated parts are rigidly held together.

Next the assembled blanks, as shown in Figure 4, are heated in a suitable furnace and brought to welding temperature, around 2200 F. Then the assembled and heated blanks are passed through the rolls R (Figure 5) of a forging machine. The rolls R are formed with the developed shape of the finished runner furrow opener out in their surfaces. The upper roll R has a surface S in which one half of the developed shape of the completed runner furrow opener is formed as a die recess ill. A similar and complementary die depression M is sunk in the surface S of the lower roll R. The surfaces S and S are in firm contact with one another except for the die cavities'dli and ii. The rolls R are accurately geared together and operated by suitable power, the rolls rotating in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 5. Also, the rolls are formed so that at registering points in each roll the die cavities Ml and 4|, are deepened, as indicated at 45 in Figure 5. This provides adequate clearance to permit the insertion of the assembled blanks (Figure 4) into the rolls, in which the blank unit is brought upward into a position in which the front ends 22 of the blanks engage a stop 41. Then as the rolls R continue their rotation the more shallow portions of the die cavities M! and H progressively engage the heated metal, pressing the same together and causing the metal to flow uniformly throughout the die cavities, the heat and pressure being sufficient to be brought to the shape shown in Figure 6. which is a diagrammatic representation of the developed shape of the completed runner furrow opener. Also, the heat and pressure is sufficient to cause the two polished surfaces 21 to fuse one into the other and to be welded together into one integral part. As best shown in Figures 10-12, the opposing die surfaces S are much closer together at one side than the other. Therefore, after the assembled blanks have been inserted into the large die cavities 4E] and M and up to the stop 41, and the rolls R rotated in the directions of the arrows in Figure 5, the portions of the die surfaces S that are closer together will exert a greater pressure on the blanks at one side than the other, thus causing the one side to become thinner and extended and resulting in the desired forward and upward curvature of the runner, as indicated in Figures 6 and 8; that is, the upper edge of the forward portion of the runner is thickened, as at 58, while the lower edge is beveled or plated, as indicated at 5|, forming the soil entering or soil cutting edge 3 mentioned above. The two die cavities Mi and M form, in effect, a closed die so that the metal of the two blanks is caused to flow accurately while in a. plastic state and to fill the die cavities completely, this being facilitated by the provision of the stop 4! and by care exercised in cutting the blanks to the desired size and dimension. If desired, of course, either or both of the rolls B. may be provided with a narrow flash relief if necessary, preferably at the end 22 (of the blanks).

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure and the preferred way of carrying out the principles of the present invention, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making a planter runner which comprises providing a pair of similar plates, ea h plate having a forward section and a. laterally offset rear section, the upper edge of said forward section extending offset from the corresponding edge of the rear section, the opposite edge of the forward section being inclined forwardly towards said upper edge, the two edges terminating in a short end, securing the two plates together at spaced points so as to hold the plates fixed in assembled relation with the adjacent faces of the forward sections substantially in contact, heating the forward sections of said plates to a welding temperature, and progres'-= sively simultaneously welding and shaping by rolling said forward sections beginning at the juncture with the rear sections, the rolling pressure on the side including the aforesaid inclined edge being greater and of a character to form a sharpened edge and also to increase the length of said side whereby the aforesaid forward section is bent to form an upwardly curved cutting portion.

2. The method of making a planter runner which comprises providing a pair of similar plates, each plate having a forward section and a rear section, the lower edge of the forward section being inclined forwardly toward the upper edge thereof, the two edges terminating in a short end, securing the two plates together at spaced points so as to hold the plates fixed in assembled relation with the adjacent faces of the forward sections substantially in contact, heating the forward sections of said plates to a welding temperature, and progressively simultaneously welding and shaping by rolling said forward sections beginning at the juncture with the rear sections, the rolling pressure on the side including the aforesaid inclined edge being greater and of a character to form a sharpened edge and also to increase the length of said side whereby the aforesaid forward section is bent to form an upwardly curved cutting portion.

CHARLES H. WHITE.

(References on following page) REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Howe Sept. 15, 1874 Watson Jan. 12, 1875 Watson June 15, 1875 Van Brunt June 6, 1893 Rowland Mar. 6, 1899 Number 6 Name Date Commichau Dec. 19, 1899 Canda Apr. 21, 1903 Robinson Oct. 26, 1915 Sheehan June 30, 1925 Yates June 12, 1928 Kellogg Apr. 23, 1929 Kellogg Feb. 13, 1940 Halstead Aug. 24, 1943 Hand Nov, 23, 1943 Liebowitz Mar. 30, 1948 

